Theos-Talk Archives (February 2005 Message tt00710)

Erica,
Thanks for your comments and personal reflections of your direct 
observations of the Tibetans. 
Of course as the Temporal and Spiritual Leader of Tibet the Dalai Lama 
has obligation to assist all Tibetans, I quite agree and this is good. But I 
made specific points about his assistance of excising the Libraries, texts, 
woodcuts of the various Orders other than the Gelugpa Order and arranged funding so 
that they may be reproduced and disseminated widely including the Bon 
literary religoius texts. This is a little different than a general helping of all 
Tibetans as tibetan people.

>>Well it is not so difficult to understand that whatever is promoting left 
hand teachings is going to be easier accepted by the society and consequently 
will gather thousand of followers.<<

I really don't understand the logic here, I view people in general as being 
basically good and in my view most if not 95% or higher would have no 
inclination to involve in left-handed practices that they perceive might harm others. 
Why do you have this view?

>>Or do you think that a Lama just because has the status of a Lama is 
somebody that may have any spiritual status?<<

No, I have the view that if they have rightly performed the dzogchen to 
it's highest end product and result they would have no inclination to practice 
left-hand actions.

Yes, I too have seen monks wearing gold colored watches, but in the modren 
world if you miss the plane or train or appointment it usually inconveniences 
others who rely upon their punctuality for many reasons. Expedient means are 
not the end but only what is necessary to accomplish goals. Vedanta, Catholic 
monks also wear watches and have Pc's at their center, have a book 
store,online home page and secure purchase arrangement. I hope you don't want to return 
to the 7th century based on misplaced aesthetics, I don't.

It depends on what is inspected in the survey to determine how much has 
changed in 1000 years. We stopped burning people at the stake, and alot of other 
things, at least here in the west. Change is terribly slow for all of us in 
terms of how fast we would seem to like it to happen, but half of the problem 
of the world is half of the world is in rebellion against change which they 
perceive is happening too fast for their wishes and how it woulf affect their 
most deeply cherished faults. I agree change proceeds slowly and I have 
entertained the theory that there is a senior moderating infleunce that restricted the 
pace as a collective function of governance of mankind quite beyiond our 
individual cognizance. I hold a faith that this unseen projector of the movement 
of mankind has a better pulse on it than we as individuals have.

John




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